Category Archives: Main Dishes

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I trust Chef Marcus Samuelsson to know what is delicious, and this entree posted to his website promises to serve up luscious and more! Since we are currently having a non-summer summer, with cool temps and rain throughout June, hot pasta can fill the bill!

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the eggplant and zucchini cubes on these trays in a single layer. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 minutes.

2. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.

There is a time for quiche — for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and that time is NOW! In the depths of winter, what could be better? This recipe comes to us from South Africa, and they probably eat it in August (when they have winter!) You can probably find cherry tomatoes in the market, add any spices you like and fall in love with chèvre! Thanks to Simply Delicious Food for recipe and photo.

Serves: 6 small quiches

Ingredients

for the pastry

250g flour

125g cold butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

3-4 tablespoons ice water

1 teaspoon salt

for the roasted tomatoes

100g cherry tomatoes, on the vine

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

for the filling

100g chèvre

4 extra-large eggs

200g Crème fraîche or sour cream

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 teaspoon fresh white pepper

Instructions

To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and with the motor running, add the cold water, spoon by spoon until the mixture comes together in a ball.

Tip out of the processor onto a floured surface and bring together into a disc.

Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.

When the pastry has firmed up slightly, roll it out on a floured surface and cut into rounds which will fit your tart cases. Press into the tart cases and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To make the roasted tomatoes, pre-heat the oven to 200°c. Place the tomatoes in a small baking tray and drizzle over the oil and Balsamic vinegar and season with the salt and sugar.

Place in the oven and allow to roast for 30-45 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered but still keep their shape. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 180°c.

To make the quiches, whisk together the eggs, Crème fraîche, salt and pepper.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and place a few tomatoes into each pastry case.

Pour over the egg mixture and dot the surface with some of the chèvre.

Place in the oven and allow to bake for 10-12 minutes until the egg is just set but still a little jiggly in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

I ADORE lamb. Ok, that’s out, as a confession and a warning that this year, there will probably be lots of lamb and chevre recipes. I am on an elevated protein diet, thus I am able to eat entrees that feature both meat and cheese. This is not recommended to everyone for every night, but will drive my food searches for the next few months, anyway.

This lovely entrée comes courtesy of Yoham Ottolenghi and What Ryan Eats. Thanks so much to both, adaptations to include chevre are my own.

Spiced Chickpea Salad:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large cucumber, chopped

2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

zest from 1 lemon

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the cumin, coriander, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper on a plate. Toss the chickpeas in the mixture until thoroughly coated. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the spiced chickpeas. Saute for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and sugar. Emulsify, then add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the herbs and vegetables and mix well. Add the emulsified dressing and toss lightly. Place salad on a plate with a wide crater in the middle. Fill the crater with spiced chickpeas.

Kofta with chevre-yogurt Tzatziki and Pomegranate Seeds:

1 lb. ground lamb

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs, maybe more

1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with 2 Tbps room temp chevre

1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for cooking

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Spoon into large bowl and add the lamb, herbs, spices, eggs, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix thoroughly. Chunks of the mixture should stay together with ease. If it needs more cement, add more bread crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in your skillet. While the oil is heating, form your meat mixture into torpedo-like shapes, about 2 inches long. Fry your kofta torpedoes until dark brown on the bottom (about 2-3 minutes) then flip and do the other side. You may have to do this in batches. When they’re all done, put them in the oven for 7-8 minutes.

While your torpedoes are in the oven, mix your yogurt-chevre and finely chopped cucumber. Grind some pepper in the mixture to taste. This is your tzatziki.

Take the kofta out and plate them. Drizzle tzatziki over the top, then sprinkle with cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

This elegant main course is perfect for entertaining! Comté or aged Goat Gouda gets mixed with Dijon mustard, herbs and shallots to create a succulent filling for pork tenderloin. A simple pan jus is just the right finish. The pork can be stuffed and tied up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate; then bring to room temperature and season before proceeding.

Serves: 4

Oil for pan

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided

½ teaspoon each minced rosemary, thyme and sage

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced shallots, divided

4 ounces Comté or aged Goat Gouda, shredded (2 scant cups shredded)

1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with oil.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, herbs, 1 teaspoon minced shallots and shredded Comté or Gouda to form thick paste.

Butterfly tenderloin by cutting a horizontal incision lengthwise three-fourths of the way through meat. Open meat up like a book; cover it with plastic wrap; and pound to ¼-inch thickness. Season inside with salt and pepper. Spread Dijon-Comté/Gouda mixture lengthwise down center, leaving ½-inch border on both sides. Roll up meat lengthwise; tie with butcher twine in 4-5 places. Season outside with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear tenderloin, seam side down, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Turn meat over and brown other side, 4-5 minutes. Place meat seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 145˚F on instant read thermometer. Transfer tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain all but 1 teaspoon oil from skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon minced shallots. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits in pan. Boil until wine is reduced by half. Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Pour jus through fine-mesh strainer into small saucepan. Place saucepan over low heat and whisk in 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, along with butter. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, cut off string and slice pork crosswise into ½-inch slices; serve with Dijon Jus on side.

When we lived in Minneapolis, Swedish meatballs were a beloved entree in many households, including ours. We always made ours with sour cream. This recipe from Food.com (by way of Culture magazine!) uses Gjetost, or Norwegian goat cheese, so of course, we figured it’s fair game to adjust it to include fresh chèvre from Birchbark Farm! Yums!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

1 cup milk or 1 cup broth

1/2 cup flour or 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

Gjetost sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup light cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup chèvre

2 tablespoons chopped parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh dill

Directions

Mix vigorously to blend (by hand or electric mixer) all the ingredients above.

Shape into 3/4 inch meatballs with moistened hands.

Pour 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Place over medium heat and add meatballs. Cook, shaking gently to turn meatballs, about 10 minutes for the meatballs. Remove as they brown.

For Gjetost sauce: Remove as much oil from the pan as possible and blend in butter and flour. Remove from heat and blend in light cream. Add chicken broth, bring to boil, stirring and cooking until thickened. Mix in chèvre. Turn heat low.

The asparagus this year is just the stuff of legends. It is fork-tender, sweet, juicy and flavorful without being sharply acidic. So I am delighted to have found a new recipe for using it in a breakfast dish, and since I have about 3 dozen eggs that need a culinary home, this frittata is perfect (thanks, Saveur)! We’ll be having this at church on Sunday morning with a few dozen hungry friends. Happy Mother’s Day~

SERVES 10 – 12

Frittatas are typically made on the stove in a skillet, but preparing them in a bundt pan offers a convenient and beautiful alternative. Serve as part of a hearty lunch or Sunday brunch.

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with butter; set aside. Mix 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1 tsp. of the chives together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook asparagus until tender, 3–4 minutes. Drain; cool under cold running water, then pat dry. Cut asparagus into 1/4″-thick pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add eggs, onions, carrots, flour, milk, remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper, and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until firm, about 45 minutes. Allow frittata to cool in pan on a wire rack.

If you are stumped by the title of this recipe, you are not alone! Apparently spatchcocking is a well-known term among butchers, and it just means to remove the backbone and breastbone of a chicken to make it cook faster (and result in a great presentation!) So read on, dear visitor, and discover the joys of stuffing your spatchcocked chicken with lemon-garlic chèvre under the skin! Yums! And thanks again to The Kitchn for a great recipe!

Remove the innards from the chicken and reserve them for another use. Wash and pat dry the chicken.

Spatchcock (aka butterfly) the chicken using poultry shears or a sharp chef’s knife: first remove the backbone, slicing or cutting it along each side all the way down to the tail end. Splay the chicken open with the skin side up on a flat surface. Place the heel of your hands, one on top of the other, over the middle of the chicken. Press down to flatten the chicken. You may hear the breast-bone crack.

Run your fingers under the skin at the neck opening to loosen the skin around the breasts, reaching as far down as the legs if possible.

In a small bowl, combine the chèvre, parmesan, egg, bread crumbs, basil, garlic, lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a spoon, carefully stuff the cheese mixture into the chicken between the skin and the meat, starting at the breasts. Coax the mixture into an even layer by pressing and pushing it from the outside, above the skin. Place the chicken on a rack, or several 1/2-inch-thick slices of onion, in a roasting pan, skin side up. Rub it with about a tablespoon olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Roast for an hour or until the juices run clear from the thigh. To test for doneness with a thermometer, check the breast meat for an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting surface and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

To serve, divide the chicken into quarters, splitting the two breasts into four pieces if desired.